Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 79(@200wpm)___ 63(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 79(@200wpm)___ 63(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
I stretched out to pluck a ripe cluster, but just as I placed the berries in the pocket of the dress my monster had fashioned for me, a sudden chill crawled along my skin. I stilled and just listened. And when I looked up slowly, I noticed movement among the trees.
There was a small group of creatures emerging from the shadowy forest. Their forms were strange and unnerving, ones I had never seen before. Their small stature did not erase the fact that they had razor-sharp fangs, gaping mouths dripping with black saliva, and beady, red eyes trained right on me.
Their desperate hunger was tangible. They had been drawn by the scent of blood from our hunt.
“Marrex,” I whispered, unsure if saying anything would make things worse with these little assholes.
“Do not move,” my mate said low, his voice deep.
Before I could react, the creatures surged forward, snarling and snapping as they closed in on me. I froze, panic gripping me as I saw they were intent on getting to any piece of me they could before another predator might arrive.
But Marrex was right there in a blink, pushing me behind his broad back. His deafening roar shattered the tense atmosphere. It was a fierce, protective sound that made the very ground rumble.
And then Marrex tore forward, his eyes blazing with their crystalline glow. He was filled with unyielding fury. His roar had sent the feral attackers scattering back into the undergrowth, but he still charged after them.
I stumbled back and landed on my bottom, adrenaline and relief rushing through my veins, the berries I’d picked scattering to the ground all around me. In that terrifying moment, I realized that no matter how wild or dangerous this world became, Marrex would always come for me, always protect me from any danger.
He turned and faced me then, his chest rising and falling. His powerful cry as he saw me on the ground echoed through the forest, one that was primal and protective and spoke of how dangerous he truly was.
“Mine!” he snarled with enough possessiveness it coated me.
I was strong in my own right, but having someone at your back, helping you survive, made things a lot easier.
All of this was a stark reminder that I was his. He was mine. And we were in this together. We’d face whatever darkness came our way.
I nodded.
“Yours,” I whispered with just as much passion.
10
FREYDIS
Icould still hear the echoes of those creatures’ snarls before Marrex had scared them off. He had me in his arms seconds later.
He tucked me against his body, curling an enormous arm around me, gripping my waist with his large, warm palm, and gathered the meat with his other hand. Spreading his beautiful, black wings wide, we shot into the sky. The rhythmic beat of his flight echoed in my ears as we headed for our lair.
Once inside the heart of the cavern, he set me down gently on a pallet of furs. I could still smell the musk of the kill, a raw, primal reminder of the hunt mingling with the damp stone and air of our home.
Marrex’s glowing eyes bore into mine with an intensity that both comforted and unnerved me. Without a word, he stored the meat and strode back to me. He lifted me in his arms with such care and ease that I melted into his hold, warmed by his massive body.
A moment later, he waded deep into the pool of water. And for long moments, he just held me, stroking his claws lightly up and down my back, his wings relaxed and slowly flexing in the spring-fed depths. He then washed me gently, scrubbing away all remnants of dirt and blood until both of us were clean, my skin sensitive and peppered with goosebumps.
With a swift movement and barely a ripple of the pool, Marrex flew us out of the water. We landed next to a pile of bathing cloths. I reached down to pick one up, but Marrex’s hand stopped mine. He lifted a piece and smoothed it over my wet skin. Chills waved through me, but not from the cool air of the cave.
His touch—Marrex’s touch alone—caused my skin to tingle, my nipples ache to be sucked, and my pussy to leak juices down my inner thighs.
When he finished drying me, he held me, and the longer he did, the more relaxed I became and the more my body heated. He must have scented my desire. I shivered as he scraped my flesh just enough that the pain heightened my pleasure. He leaned in, licking at my lips with an almost tender possessiveness.
As he continued to kiss me, his low, rumbling voice filled the space between us. “You’re mine, Freydis,” he murmured, each word a promise of protection and an unyielding claim.
I felt multiple sensations of intense need, the fact that I was alive, and the pleasure Marrex always gave me. In that moment, everything blurred the lines between fear and what would happen if I didn’t survive.